Lots of good enhancements

[gking86]

On 7/8/2019 at 3:33 PM, Matthew Hajicek™ - Conventus said:

Maybe Mastercam needs more blockchain.

 

I just physically cringed.

[Richard Thomas - Mastercam UK]

On 7/4/2019 at 11:53 PM, Bbeyer562 said:

 I mean it's got a dynomite button but does anybody ever click on it?

Yep I use that button pretty much every day.  I teach Mastercam and it's very useful to bring in an old programmed file and clear out all of the previous machining data.  You might not see a need for it, but for me using Mastercam would be harder without it

[JeremyV]

Regarding whats new.... I've noticed the hole center point ( that little dot to show hole center) is gone.  It doesn't show up, no matter what color, is there a way to make this visible again?

[gcode]

41 minutes ago, JeremyV said:

Regarding whats new.... I've noticed the hole center point ( that little dot to show hole center) is gone.  It doesn't show up, no matter what color, is there a way to make this visible again?

Home Page

Display Tab

click Arc Center points

[Colin Gilchrist]

8 hours ago, gcode said:

Home Page

Display Tab

click Arc Center points

Both "Arc Center Points" and "Endpoints" are now toggle options. You can enable or disable them. When enabled, they stay visible on the screen. I really like that option for the Endpoints, and typically leave both Endpoints and Arc Center Points toggled on. (I like this enhancement a lot!)

[Guest]

Tbh I liked the old menu and configuration page, I found it a lot more efficient to have drop down menu instead of what it is now.

[crazy^millman]

On 8/23/2019 at 4:09 PM, Peter Evans said:

Tbh I liked the old menu and configuration page, I found it a lot more efficient to have drop down menu instead of what it is now.

I don’t use any ribbons. I get the Toolpath ribbon when toolpathing, but everything that is a drop down on the different ribbons is now drop downs on the QAT. I have read many different development articles over the years and all make the assertion toolbars for a software like Mastercam is the best choice. Ribbons are not and I really appreciate efforts put toward making the software more efficient. Its just far less clicks day in and day out with toolbars. Less movement to do the same thing is Kaizen basics. Why go around your knee to get to your elbow? Things are improving version to version in areas that make our lives as programmers better, but with ribbons gone I don’t miss them. 

[JB7280]

12 hours ago, 5th Axis CGI said:

I don’t use any ribbons. I get the Toolpath ribbon when toolpathing, but everything that is a drop down on the different ribbons is now drop downs on the QAT. I have read many different development articles over the years and all make the assertion toolbars for a software like Mastercam is the best choice. Ribbons are not and I really appreciate efforts put toward making the software more efficient. Its just far less clicks day in and day out with toolbars. Less movement to do the same thing is Kaizen basics. Why go around your knee to get to your elbow? Things are improving version to version in areas that make our lives as programmers better, but with ribbons gone I don’t miss them. 

Can you take a screenshot of what you mean, as far as your QAT setup?

[Guest]

I am also curious my QAT is just a collection of buttons for functions I use frequently or Chooks etc I feel like I might be missing out on something major.

[Frank Caudillo]

Here is one example of using only the QAT. Most of my commonly used functions are up there. I leave the wireframe ribbon tab enabled because I've memorized the Mastercam default ALT keypaths for them and those don't work if the ribbon is not enabled. I only use that for wireframe creation though.

I wish there was a way to add more buttons to the QAT and have it to fit more rows instead of making you expand it.

 

[Guest]

That is pretty much what I had too, I'm pretty sure 5Axis CGI didn't understand what I meant by drop down menu, I was referring to the classic menu layout from X9 and prior.

[crazy^millman]

On 8/26/2019 at 7:38 AM, Peter Evans said:

That is pretty much what I had too, I'm pretty sure 5Axis CGI didn't understand what I meant by drop down menu, I was referring to the classic menu layout from X9 and prior.

Peter, I can't back before 2018 to see what your exactly referring to, but think I have come up with what we can do in 2020 to get as close a possible to that.  

Here is the QAT for me it is the point from the ribbon and then the drop down for point. 

 

 

Edited August 20, 2020 by crazy^millman
Pictures removed to save space

[Guest]

Thank you for the example, I will investigate this further as I have pending user requests regarding enhancing the QAT menu efficiency, are there any differences from mcam 2018 to 2020?

[David Colin]

Ron's idea is great and it could be even more efficient if CNC let us customize icons for ribbon custom group.

For example, standard wireframe point ribbon tab in QAT

 

may be developped to a ribbon custom group (to save 1 click). However with a generic icon in QAT makes it not really usable...

 

 

 

 

[crazy^millman]

On 8/27/2019 at 2:43 AM, David Colin said:

Ron's idea is great and it could be even more efficient if CNC let us customize icons for ribbon custom group.

For example, standard wireframe point ribbon tab in QAT

 

may be developped to a ribbon custom group (to save 1 click). However with a generic icon in QAT makes it not really usable...

 

 

 

 

It use to remember last command used in previous version and then you could quickly keep using the same function. I did make the recent functions a left side toolbar to look like previous versions.

Here is it before resized,

 

Here it is after resized to look like a toolbar. Will not work on top of bottom. 

 

Edited August 20, 2020 by crazy^millman
Pictures removed to save space

[David Colin]

I probably have this setup starting 2017 release. I even didn't remember where it came from^^

It's crazy actually trying to make new releases look like old ones... however there are good reasons!

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

I just want to be able to customize the access keys.

[crazy^millman]

2 hours ago, David Colin said:

I probably have this setup starting 2017 release. I even didn't remember where it came from^^

It's crazy actually trying to make new releases look like old ones... however there are good reasons!

Notice I don't use the Transparency for the in the graphics area icons. That space was taken so it is not longer useable. I got tired of accidentally hitting things that were slightly hidden, but still part of the screen. The Quick Masks use to be part of a tool bar. The Selections tools use to be part a tool bar out of the useable screen. The Change features part of the levels and such were locked to the bottom of the screen. All these things changed and for me didn't make me faster they slowed me down. I adapted the software to get my speed back. 2020 has a lot of new things added that make it a good software. All the complaints and how much it is not good are not justified sorry to those that think they are. Are there things I don't like yes and as a paying Customer I have made those complaints well known just not so much publicly. However having been in the many different shops I have been in and helping write the book for a lot the manufacturing method and processes being used by many companies today Mastercam hold's it own just fine. I can open file in 2020 in 5 minutes that took 20 minutes in 2019 that X9 can't open. Chaining changed and took me a little to get it, but I got it. Other things have changed and I am adjusting to them. I am able to earn a living using Mastercam and go head to head with any CAM package on the planet and as long as I can keep doing that I will keep using Mastercam as my tool to do it. 

[THMProgram]

I absolutely love it that people are trying to get there 2020 to look like V9!!!

 

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

6 minutes ago, THMProgram said:

I absolutely love it that people are trying to get there 2020 to look like V9!!!

If only I could get someone to write and maintain a C-Hook for drop down menus!

[Guest]

18 minutes ago, Matthew Hajicek™ - Conventus said:

If only I could get someone to write and maintain a C-Hook for drop down menus!

 I would like to do this, not sure if this is possible via the public Chook SDK, but if it is I would love to do this. Would the drop down menu's you speak of consist of the same functions as in the old mastercam or "customizable" menus users could add functions to?  

[mike93]

After I made my own ribbon tab with the functions i yous 90% of the time and added some  other things to the existing ribbon tabs and with additional QA icons i do not mind the ribbon interface. And you can map key Board shortcuts.

[Guest]

I see in the Mastercam 2018 SDK this function still exists -->

DllImpExp bool InsertThirdPartyMenu  ( const CStringArray &  menuArray )  

Purpose:Insert chook menu before help menuReturnstrue if inserted successfullyParameters
[in] menuArray Array of menu specifiers  

However seeing as there is no help menu anymore, not sure what will happen, I will look into it.

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

24 minutes ago, peter ~ said:

 I would like to do this, not sure if this is possible via the public Chook SDK, but if it is I would love to do this. Would the drop down menu's you speak of consist of the same functions as in the old mastercam or "customizable" menus users could add functions to?  

Customizable would be great.  The main thing I want is the ability to use configurable access keys like we used to, while seeing visual cues for what my options are.  In the old pre-X days we could customize the drop down menus and choose our own access keys for each listing.  Having to add <alt> before using access keys in the X series is annoying, but not show stopping.  IMHO having a bunch of two character access keys that have nothing to do with what they're for (<J><M> for "toolpaths instead of <T> for example) is going too far.

 

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Matthew Hajicek™ - Conventus said:

Customizable would be great.  The main thing I want is the ability to use configurable access keys like we used to, while seeing visual cues for what my options are.  In the old pre-X days we could customize the drop down menus and choose our own access keys for each listing.  Having to add <alt> before using access keys in the X series is annoying, but not show stopping.  IMHO having a bunch of two character access keys that have nothing to do with what they're for (<J><M> for "toolpaths instead of <T> for example) is going too far.

 

So if I understand you correctly the second Item is  a customizable set of "hotkeys" triggered by one key press?